Mission: Impossible
by Claira McGarrett
Summary: Jim and his Impossible Missions Force are sent to the Polish/Russian border to search for a Russian scanner that they are using in some capacity in which the Polish goverment have already complained about because of a breach of border regulations.
1. Chapter 1

**MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE**

Jim Phelps goes to a specified place and time and finds an envelope and tape recorder and presses the play button.

"_Good morning M_r Phelps_. With the cold war seemingly dead and buried and, the west too caught up in the political diplomatic ties of the war on terror to care about Russian views and their current weapon development on the Russian/Polish border. You are looking at pictures taken from one of our satellite cameras in space of earthwork developments being created to support an industrial scanner situated in an underground vault that the Polish state government have reportedly complained is breaching their own territory in several areas. The head of the home division of the KGB, Wilhyame Hansen, has recently taken over a town close to the Polish border to oversee the area and is in constant contact with his guards positioned right up to the border with Poland and, as reported, within Poland itself to try and stop anyone getting too close to whatever works Russia has on-going in that sensitive border area._

_Your mission Jim, should you decided to accept it, is to breach Russia's border and discover what this scanner is being used for and report its location and plans to the authorities as soon as possible._

_Of course, if you or any of your group are caught or killed, the secretary will disavowal any knowledge of your actions._

_This tape will self destruct in five seconds. Good luck Jim."_

Jim stopped the tape and watched it smoke and fizzle away.

Back at Jim's apartment, he walks out of the kitchen and moved over to his sofa and sat down. He now grabbed the IMF folder and went through it and picked out the usual operatives and then sat back pleased with his choice.

Within days, his team had met up with him in his apartment and he explained the plan to discover the secret of Russia's scanner and just what they were planning that close to Poland.

Jim had found a hotel thirty miles from the area that was under scrutiny and his team checked in to this hotel as separately as they could to not raise any suspicions.

Jim pulled into the car park of this hotel just as an American family had arrived. Jim was pulling out his suitcase from the trunk of his car just as the children of this family started to run around the car park screaming. One of the children from this family noticed Jim and moved up to him.

"Don't tell me, you're American, right?" The child said looking at him.

Jim looked around at the three other children still running around the car park screaming and, then to the girl in front of him.

"I beg your pardon."

"Your clothes, the airport business car, I'd say defiantly American." The child said folding her arms around her in a protective manner.

Jim watched this then bent down and grabbed his case and looked back at the child and raised a smile towards her.

"Yes, I'm American, like yourself and," He now looked at her parents trying to grab the rest of their family. "As are you and, the other members of your family, hmm?" He said finishing on looking at her.

She now stepped back slightly.

"I'm Claira, Claira Reese." She said then stepped forward to hold out her hand.

Jim looked at her small hand and then shook it and then looked at her beaming at him.

"I'm Jim, Jim Phelps."

"Are you staying at this hotel? I mean, of course you're staying at this hotel. Err, I mean, what would you be doing here if you wasn't?" She said looking down to her feet.

Jim laughed.

"Yes, I am staying here at this hotel although I haven't made up my mind for how long, yet."

"Claira!" Her mother said behind her. "Would you mind not going up to everyone and asking them what they are doing here? The poor man is probably on holiday to relax or something, just like us."

"No, he's not on holiday mum, Mr Phelps is on business here, isn't that right Mr Phelps?" Claira said looking back to him.

"Well, I..." He stopped as Claira's mother pulled her back from Jim.

"I'm so sorry if my daughter has upset you Mr, what did you say you're name was?"

"Mum, I said his name was Mr Phelps and I don't think he minds me talking to him. Do you Mr Phelps?"

"It's Jim and no, I do not mind you talking to me, in a hotel car park of all places." He added looking around.

"See, you've insulted him, come along Claira, I will not ask again." Her mother said pulling her away.

Jim watched as Claira was pulled back to the rest of her family by her mother. He shook his head and slowly went into the hotel and signed himself in.

Jim managed to get a room down the hall from the family and made himself comfortable as he waited for the rest of his team to sign in and get allocated separate rooms.

That evening his team met up and Jim got on with the rest of his briefing from within his room where Barney would be making a tunnel of his own to run along with the Russian version to find out exactly why the Russian's have been breaching the Polish border and why.

"It would be a good idea to find out what the Russians have at the border on a daily basis." Jim said looking at the map.

"How are you expecting to work that one out? I mean they will not allow you to just walk up to the border and ask them to view their plans right there and then." Rollin said showing him the exact border guard layout.

"I have been working on that one Rollin. I guess you can put this one down to a family that I met in the hotel car park earlier today. I'm just a businessman that has a few days to spare around the border gates. Who says that I can't be just a little curious in a tourist's kind of way? Rollin, take this mobile phone and call me when you go on guard duty." Jim said handing him a phone.

"I get it. When I call I just happen to forget that the gate is unmanned for a while." Rollin said checking the phone.

"I just need to wait for your call."

Jim now headed down to the hotel's restaurant to check out the local Polish cuisine. He started to get buried into the pages of choices available.

"If you want to wake up in morning like you did this morning, I suggest you stay away from the main menu and try the side meals, you'd be safer that way"

Jim moved the large menu away from his face and focused in on Claira holding the other menu in her hand.

"Claira." He said taking the menu from her. "Thank you, I'll try that." He added checking the menu.

Claira now looked back then jumped up onto the seat across from him.

"Hide me, quick!" She said ducking in next to him.

Jim watched her move up next to him and buries her head into his side.

"Claira, what are you doing?"

"My dad, I bet he's been looking for me all afternoon."

"Why, what have you done now?"

"Nothing Mr Phelps, honest, I..." She stopped and watched her father walk past Jim's table.

Jim now looked up to see the rest of Claira's family sail past. He now looked at Claira with her head into his side.

"You know their probably worried about you."

"You think? My mum and dad are, well ever since..." She looked down.

A waiter now appeared next to Jim waiting for his order. Jim looked at Claira now checking her parents seating area.

"Could you send four sausage sandwiches and a bottle of pop to room 454 and add it to my bill. Is that alright, Claira?" He said looking over to her.

"Hur, sandwiches?"

"You think that you can handle a couple of sandwiches?"

Claira looked at Jim then at the waiter.

"Yeah, yeah."

The waiter marked his pad then left them alone.

"Come with me." He said moving out of the seat and allowing Claira out.

"Where are we going?"

"Back to my room."

"Oh no, I can't."

"Why not?"

"My mum and dad told me that I shouldn't go with strangers."

Jim stopped and looked at her.

"Strangers?"

"Yes, mum said..."

"Did she? Strangers, indeed." He said taking her hand and leading her out and up to his room.

Within a few minutes or so a waiter arrived with Jim's order and brought it into the room as Claira sat on the sofa watching Jim sign for it and letting the waiter out.

"Right, let's see if this kills us or not." He said lifting up the tray to reveal four freshly cooked sausage sandwiches.

"Wow cool, can I?" She said moving forward in her seat.

"Of course, and the drink is yours too as I have my own drink cabernet.

"I guessed you would have. My dad has the same set up just down the hall but, I think mum uses it as well." She said grabbing a sandwich and sitting back in the chair munching.

Jim grabbed a sandwich and went up to the drinks cabernet to make himself a drink then moved back to the sofa and sat down to grab his plans to check over them again.

Claira snuck in next to him and watched him reading the plan.

"What have you got there?" She said pointing to the folder.

"It's private. No fear Claira but, you may think that falling out with your mum and dad is the number one priority around here but to me that doesn't even come close. I'm just keeping you here to make sure you don't go and do something stupid while you're not on speaking terms. Besides, I left word at the reception to inform your parents exactly where you are."

"You what?" Claira said looking at him.

"You really think I would help you over a 'whatever' in your life just because I'm a fellow American whom you just decided might be around to cover your ass when you're parents have it number one on their spanking lists? I've seen kids like you many times before and you are not going to get one over me like you do with your parents."

Claira looked at him then there was a knock on the door.

"Ah, there you go." He said putting his file down and moving to the door and opening it to find Claira's mother and father standing there.

"Oh Jim, thank you so much for telling us where Claira was, I really thought we wouldn't have any problems with her this trip but, I guess, we were aiming our inspirations to high again. Come on along Claira; thank Mr Phelps for taking the time to look after you." Her mother said coaxing Claira towards her.

Claira looked at Jim as she reached the door.

"Thank you so much, Mr Phelps." She said sarcastically.

"Here, don't forget your dinner, I mean, it was the least I could do." He said handing her the tray platter and her bottle of pop.

Claira made a fake grin and followed her parents down the hall looking back to Jim waving her goodbye. He then went back inside his room and laughed.

The next day Jim met up with his team again and Barney had managed to secure some sensitive equipment that would be able to obtain precise measurements and graphic detail of Russia's movements.

"How close would we have to be in making this work properly Barney?" Jim said checking the equipment was working fine.

"After the first initial programming, I would be able to take this machine straight into the main tunnel."

"Where would we have to be for the initial programming?"

"I'd say, between three and five hundred yards, either way of the border, to be certain of a proper reading being obtained." Barney said looking towards Jim.

"Three hundred yards in daylight before you can use this in the tunnels?" Jim said looking at him.

"To, at least get this to read and work properly the way we want it, yes." Barney said looking back to the machine.

"Alright, I'll contact you when this is ready for you."

Jim packed up the machine and left it by the door ready for him to put into his car and head towards the border.

The next morning Jim came down with the machine and went out to his car and put the machine in the boot and then went back into the hotel to have some breakfast and studied the local maps for a route up to the border crossing.

He looked across to see Claira walking in behind her two sisters and brother with her parents bringing up the rear. Jim sipped at his coffee as he watched the family sit down and again making their parents life hell as they all went through the breakfast menu as loudly as they could.

Jim soon finished his breakfast and moved out to the reception and then out into the car park.

He got into his car and noticed Claira running out of the hotel and across the car park.

Claira made it to a big tree by the entrance of the hotel.

Jim started up his engine and drove over to her and caught her attention. She now moved away.

"Claira!" He said calling over to her.

"Go away!"

Jim looked away then turned off the engine and jumped out of his car and moved up to her.

"Are you still mad at me because I called your parents to tell them where you were last night?"

Claira did not answer him and moved away.

Jim looked back to his car.

"Look, I'm heading up to the border for the morning."

"Good, bon voyage."

"Claira, you don't mean that."

"Yes I do, after all what do you know about me?"

"Nothing but, if you're interested in a drive with me, I won't tell your parents where you are this time."

"Oh whoopee, let's get the flags out for that one." She said looking back.

"Okay, well I don't want you saying I didn't ask." He said getting back into his car as Claira looked back. "See you later, Claira." He added starting up his engine and starting to move away.

Claira looked towards him then jumped out in front of him.

"Wait!" She said allowing him to pull up next to her and she opened the rear passenger side door and got in. "I don't do this for anyone you know." She said closing the door.

"I'll keep reminding myself that as we go." He said looking at her through the rear view mirror as Jim drove off following his map drawings to the Polish Russian border.

Claira looked around as Jim got closer to the border as a lot of heavy plant machinery was moving around the whole area.

Claira jumped forward as the border now appeared.

"Wow, this is some border."

Jim looked at her as he pulled off to a private car park.

"I want you to stay here for a while." Jim said as he got out.

Claira quickly jumped out.

"Don't leave me here." She said grabbing Jim's hand.

"Claira, I'm not going to leave you anywhere. I just need to do something on my own and I would like you to wait for me in the car."

"But..."

"Claira, I need you to trust me again and this time; I'm not going to let you down. Just stay there." Jim said closing the door and he moved back towards the boot and opening it up to reveal the machine.

Claira noticed other people in the car park moving around.

"Is there any problem with us being at the border, Jim?" She said noticing some official men.

Jim was too engrossed in the workings of the machine.

"Jim, can you hear me?" She said moving further back into the seat.

"Hur, sweetheart?"

"Can I ask what your business at the border today is, Mr?" A guard said moving around the car.

Jim looked up and over to the guard who had now noticed Claira in the back seat.

This gave Jim the chance to lock the boot and move away from it as the guard now looked at him.

"Jim Phelps." He said looking at the guard.

"Dad?" Claira said as she moved over to the other side of the car to get out.

The guard now noticed her and grabbed his gun.

"Now wait a minute. She's a kid, and she's just scared, that's all. How do you expect her to behave when she see's you coming towards me?"

Claira ran to the front of the car and looked around for the exit.

"Dad?" She again said trying to get her way out of the situation.

Jim and the guard looked at her.

"Excuse me. My daughter needs me." Jim said as the guard reluctantly stepped aside and watched Jim head to the front of the car and grabbed her.

"Sweetheart its okay daddies' right here." He said touching her.

Claira now looked at him and allowed Jim to hug her.

"Dad."

"It's alright, I'm right here." He said kissing her.

The guard now went up to them.

"I asked you what you were doing at the border today. You have no business reason to be here."

"We wanted to see the border. Well, I guess I wanted to see the border." Claira said looking at him.

"And wherever my daughter wants to go then I will duly take her." Jim added looking at Claira as they both agreed and looked at the guard.

"You are an American businessman on work here for a local conglomerate financial team. You and your daughter have a room at the international hotel thirty miles from the here."

"That's right. This is my business car and I have all my legal documents in the glove box, if you would like me to show them to you." Jim said moving to open the driver's door.

"That is not necessary. All the information we require was forwarded to us some weeks ago, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to stay anywhere near this sensitive area.

Jim watched the guard check the car.

"What were you doing in the boot of this vehicle when I first approached you?" The guard said heading for it.

"My daughter was tired. I was just getting her a blanket so she could get some sleep. Claira's not one to sleep on strange beds and she finds this hired car more suitable especially when I'm driving." Jim said moving up to him.

The guard tried to open the boot.

"Open it."

"Alright, but all that is in there is the standard issue spare tyre, jack and." Jim opened the boot to reveal the blanket. "One special blanket that my daughter uses to sleep with, as I explained."

The guard lifted out the blanket and checked underneath.

Claira now moved up to Jim and the guard and noticed the blanket.

"That's mine." She said grabbing the blanket from the guard and putting her head into it to smell the newness.

The guard watched her do this then looked at Jim.

"Well, if there is nothing else."

"I have just one request from you to agree with, Mr Phelps, and that is that you do not come to this border area again. The whole area is guarded and CCTV is watching you're every turn, even at the hotel." He said putting down the boot and walking away from them.

They watched him go and Claira stepped back into Jim and he held her.

She now looked at him.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded and allowed Jim to help her into the car and put the blanket around her.

Jim drove slowly back to the hotel and parked up. He looked into the back and found Claira asleep on the blanket and smiled.

He got out and opened the door and gently shook her.

"Claira, Claira we're home." He said as Claira stirred.

"Dad?" She said then realised where she was and sat up. "Hur, their gonna kill me." She added and jumped out of his car then stopped and turned back.

"Thanks for the drive" She said then ran off to the hotel.

Jim chuckled and watched her.

"My pleasure." He said then looked in to see the blanket and then remembered the machine, so he grabbed the blanket and moved to the boot and opened it up. He now pressed a button in the boot as a false back fell down to reveal the machine and put the blanket back in its place. He then secured the car and headed back into the hotel and back up to his room.

That evening, Jim met up with the rest of his team to discuss plans further. Barney showed exactly where he was with his tunnel and that he was now ready to work with the machine Jim had.

"Time is short here guy's. This machine will need to be calibrated just as Barney can receive it." Jim said checking the plans.

"Jim, I need to have a picture of the whole area or we could never prove what the Russians are planning on the border."

"I know Barney and I am the only one who can get those readings for you. I wasn't expecting a border crossing guard to be interested in a private car park. When Rollin is ready I will do my best to get over the border for the machine to work better but, I have to tell you now that I believe I am already being watched, especially after today and I think I may have put an innocent family in jeopardy."

"If that is the case, then what are you going to do about it?" Barney said looking at him.

Jim looked at him then turned away.

"I don't know how serious it is yet, but I've got to do something for them." He said thinking of Claira.

The next day Jim came down to breakfast late and saw Claira's mother battling to control her children as Claira stood by her and then noticed Jim and waved to him. He returned the wave then tried to attempt some breakfast.

"I have the morning paper which has been kindly translated into English, if you're planning on reading something other than a stupid book today, Jim." Claira said as Jim looked up at her beaming at him and handed him the paper.

"Thank you." He said scanning the headlines.

"Mum's going to be ages sorting out my sisters and, I think my brother will be with my dad all day so, I was wondering if it was alright if I hung out with you again today Jim? I think you're business trip yesterday was fab!" She said jumping in next to him.

"Fab?" He said looking at her.

"Aha." She said looking at him.

Jim folded up the paper and went back to his breakfast. Claira sat there as good as gold as everyone staying at the hotel walked past them to carry on with whatever they would be doing that day.

Jim soon finished his breakfast and looked at Claira trying to get interested in the paper.

"Where's your father?"  
"Hur?"

"Your dad, where would he be at the moment?"

"I don't know. It all depends if they had a row this morning or not. Do you know I read a book once that said that parents are more likely to divorce six years into a marriage with children than any earlier."

"Where did you read that, you're parent's marriage counsellor magazine rack?"

"How did you know that?" She said looking at him.

Jim laughed and kissed her.

"You're a good girl and I'm sorry I got you involved in all this." He said getting up from his seat and heading out past the reception area with Claira in tow with his paper.

"You forgot your paper, dad!" She said after him.

Jim stopped and looked back.

"Thanks." He said as Claira drew level with him and he took the paper from him.

"Where are you going?"

"To find you're, father." He said quietly as he allowed Claira to walk with him over to the lift to take them up to their floor. They walked over to her parent's room and Claira allowed Jim in to their room.

"Ah, I see Claira has found the fellow yank, as I believe my daughter has said on several occasions." Her father said shaking hands with Jim.

Claira sank into the background as Jim and her father started to talk to each other.

Later that day Jim was given the green light to approach the border where Rollin was making sure that all the guards and the important CCTV operator was not present at the time Jim needed to get the machine calibrated for Barney to use. Jim managed to complete the calibration as requested and returned to the hotel after dark where Claira had been waiting for him by the main gate entrance.

Jim pulled in as Claira came running up to him.

"Hurry up Jim, I'm freezing. Where's that blanket you had yesterday?"

"In the boot." He said handing her the keys as Claira grabbed them from him and ran round to the boot and opened it.

"How long have you been waiting out here?" He said taking her hand.

"I don't know. Not long, I guess." She said pulling out the blanket.

"Was it light when you came out?"

"Sort of, we had lunch, I remember that."

Jim stopped her.

"Lunch, not dinner?"

"Of course not, that's still to come."

Jim looked at his watch.

"Claira, its seven o'clock!" He said grabbing the blanket and wrapping her.

"Seven? He's going to kill me."

"If I don't first, come on." Jim said picking her up and carrying her into the warm hotel.

"What am I going to say to him?"

"Start thinking." Jim said as they waited for the lift to arrive by the reception area.

"I know, sorry daddy I lost all track of time."

"That's possible sweetheart, I mean who was the one who said that time stands still around here?" Jim said making sure everyone heard what they were saying.

"But dad, I'm only saying this because I haven't got a watch."

The lift now appeared and they walked in.

"I'll buy you a watch of your very own when we get home." He said kissing her as the doors closed in front of them and whisked them to their floor.

"I'm not going to hear the last of this. Mum will go ballistic and dad will blame me, as usual. We'll be in counselling for years to come, hey Jim, where are we going?" Claira said looking around.

"You can sweat it out in my room while I clear this with your father."

"Dad won't accept having to have another dinner just because of me."

"No, that's why you can stay here and have dinner with me."

"Good luck in trying to pursued him with mum around."

"Have trust in me." He said putting her on the sofa and putting the blanket over her. "It will take a while for this room to get warm so keep this with you. I'll be back soon with some dinner." He said kissing her then went out.

Jim sorted out the problem with Claira and dinner and returned to his room to find Claira asleep on the sofa so, he had some dinner while Claira slept.

The next day Claira woke up on the sofa that she had fallen asleep on and looked around. Jim walked out of the bathroom and noticed she was awake.

"Good morning."

"What am I doing here?"

"Well, I certainly wasn't going to take you back after you had fallen asleep."

"I didn't mean to sleep here last night, honest."

"That's nice to hear. Did you want to shower before you go down for breakfast?"

"A shower?"

"Your mother supplied me with some extra clothes this morning, so you're more than welcome to have a shower, because there is an hour or so before breakfast." He said checking his watch.

She looked at him then jumped up and into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Jim chuckled to himself and carried on getting dressed.

An hour or so later Jim was leading Claira down to the restaurant area to meet the rest of her family. They got to the reception area when Claira caught sight of her parents.

"There they are. You don't mind if I go and have breakfast with them, yes." Claira said standing there waiting for an answer.

Jim looked at her approvingly and flattened down her top.

"Go on then. Don't upset them."

"Upset them, me?" She said looking at him.

"Yes, you!" Jim said kissing her and allowing her to go to her parents for breakfast.

He now took his seat in his normal way to have his breakfast and Claira spent her breakfast and part of the day with her family.

Jim returned to his room and Barney met up with him to acquire the calibrated machine and he made the final plan arrangements to get the information they required and to get out with that information safely.

Barney carried the machine out and to an awaiting car to take him back over the border and to start scanning the area.

Jim stayed in his room and moved over to his window and noticed Claira going out for a walk with her parents and brother and sisters.

Jim now started to pack and check his plane ticket home and moved his suitcase to the door when the phone started to ring and Jim looked back.

An hour or so later Barney was in his makeshift tunnel heading parallel with the Russians tunnel and finally entered the sensors in to the tunnel to get a reading. An alarm now sounded in the main command room of the local KGB office at the border and a team was dispatched to the area.

Jim moved back to the phone and picked it up.

"Jim it's Rollin, Barney has tripped a sensor in the command room and I haven't got the authority stopping it getting out. Their sending a team to search for him now and there's nothing I can do about it."

Jim looked at his watch.

"Barney would have only just got there. We don't have enough time to scan anything especially if they have found out where Barney is. Get through to Barney and pull the plug."

"But Jim, if I can't get there in time."

"Don't tell me that, stop them finding Barney before I get there." Jim said dropping the phone and running out leaving his suitcases by the door.

Jim ran out into the car park and into his car just as Claira and her family was walking back.

"Well Jim, that's the fastest I've seen anyone run away from their hotel. Is the place on fire or something?" Claira's father asked.

"I hope not. I still have all my clothes waiting for me. Sorry to leave you so soon, but I'm needed somewhere."

"Don't mind us; we've just had a nice walk out which I believe has done us the world of good."

"I'm happy for you." Jim said as he got in and started up the car.

"Are you alright Jim, you look worried." Claira said moving to his car.

"I'm fine." He said then sped away.

They watched him leave the hotel as they walked into the reception area.

It took Jim twenty minutes to get to the border area where everything was quiet on the outside. Jim pulled into the private car park under Rollin's surveillance cameras. Jim moved over to one of the areas that Barney had set up and checked it for any signs of life. Rollin now appeared from the main camp and met up with Jim.

"Where were the main guards when you last saw them?"

"Main tunnel heading for Barney and, I don't think that he would be aware of them being around him at his position." Rollin said showing him pictures of the tunnels that he had caught from the CCTV cameras.

Jim went back to his car and grabbed a torch.

"Stay here. If anyone comes you can handle them." Jim said going into the tunnel.

Rollin looked around to the CCTV then back to Jim.

Jim headed down the tunnel towards Russia's main tunnel as the KGB worked their way to Barney. Jim looked around for the machine that Barney would be using as he came up to his station. Barney now appeared next to him as he came out of the main tunnel.

"Jim!"

"Barney, we've got to pull out. The machine has been recognised and we have Russian border guards heading to this point." Jim said trying to collect the machine from the wall.

"I have only made one scan Jim, if we pull out of here now the world will not know what the Russians have down here. They could easily have something radioactive down here especially if they have read this machine within the hour." Barney said collecting the data.

"We can't take a chance not with the KGB so interested in this place. Maybe someone will be able to take these readings to someone who's interested but we've done our job Barney, and that's all we can take from this." Jim said grabbing the machine and started to head out of the tunnel.

"Halt! Stand where you are!" A guard said entering the tunnel.

Rollin moved up behind him.

"It's alright soldier, I have these two." Rollin said moving forward.

"I'm sorry sir but, my orders are to stay with anyone seen in the tunnel suspiciously." He said pointing his gun again.

Rolling now grabbed him and pulled the guard to the floor and knocked him out.

"He must have called this in." Rollin said checking his gun.

"Then we have no time left. Come on!" Jim said heading out towards his car.

Jim started to load the car as a truck pulled in and some men ran down the tunnel. The guard that had seen Jim earlier in the same car recognised him and jumped out to confront him.

"You, I thought I told you not to come here again." He said pointing his gun at him and radioing his position.

Jim now noticed him and jumped into his car as the guard did his best to stop the car. Jim did his best to get away from the hail of bullets. Jim looked back at the guard grabbing his radio.

"Their heading for the hotel, alert the guards there." The guard said as Jim sped away.

"Are we heading for the hotel, Jim?" Rolling asked.

"Yes, I have my suitcases waiting for me at the door of my room." He said heading down the road that led only to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, someone had alerted a KGB source there new exactly what he had to do. He went up to Jim's room and checked it for anything that would show what and why Jim was staying at the hotel for. After checking his room and finding nothing the man decides to set the room on fire to destroy everything of importance to Jim and then came back out and noticed Claira with her brother and sisters playing in the hallway corridor. Claira noticed him coming out of Jim's room and looked at him, so he decided to use the hallway phone to alert more men to the fact that Claira was at the hotel and not with Jim at the border and, that he needed more help to deal with her. Within minutes some more men arrived and they grabbed the children including Claira along with her parents and pilled them back into their room. As her father was arguing with one of the men over their treatment Claira managed to get out and headed back to Jim's room and the ensuing fire.

Jim arrived some moments later and looked to see people rushing away from the fire which had now taken over the middle floor where Jim's room was.

"I can't see Claira anywhere. I don't even see her parents."

"Jim, we have to leave, the authorities will be here any minute." Rollin said looking on.

"I must know Claira is alright." He said heading for the entrance.

"Jim!"

Jim ran past the lifts and through into the stairway as the smoke became heavier. Jim moved into a toilet and wrapped a towel round his face and headed onto his floor and went towards Claira's room that she was in with her parents. He went into the smoke field room and came face to face with a blood bath of Claira's family dead in front of him. He looked around for Claira but she was not with them, so he ran back out and shouted down the corridor to no avail. Jim now took his chance and headed for his room now totally well alight.

"Claira!" He shouted into the blackness of his room.

Jim saw that his room had been trashed but he ventured as far as he dared into the room as he noticed Claira on the floor by the bathroom unconscious and with superficial burns all over her body.

"Claira!" He repeated as he picked her up and carried her under the rising smoke and down to the reception area as the local authorities arrived to tackle the blaze.

Jim moved out into the car park and Rollin run to him.

"What about her family?" He said checking her.

Jim looked at him and shook his head and then they looked at Claira.

Jim, Rollin and Barney left the carnage of the hotel and headed back to the states with Claira. Jim admitted Claira to a private doctor that Rollin recommended who could help heal her burns and scars and to get her back on the road to recovery.

Claira awoke some days later and looked around. She noticed a nurse checking her vital signs and guessed she was in a hospital.

"Where am I? What hospital is this? Are we still in Poland?" She said as she realised she had a bandage on her face and hands. "What happened?"

"I'll get the doctor for you. I believe you're father is also waiting to hear that you're finally awake."

"My dad?" She said watching the nurse go out and the door closing behind her.

Claira looked at the closed door then jumped out of the bed and moved to the window and pulled the curtain to reveal the sun beating down on her face as she touched it.

"I wouldn't suggest full sun rays on that face for a few weeks yet, Miss Phelps, if you wouldn't mind returning to your bed so that I can talk to you for a moment please. I have called your father and he will be with us very shortly." The doctor said as a nurse moved her away from the window and back into her bed.

"Where am I?"

"You're in a private hospital, in New York." The doctor said moving towards her to check her face.

She leaned away from him moving any closer.

"Claira, let the doctor check your face, please sweetheart." Jim said behind her.

"Jim!" She said jumping down to him and moving to his side. "I'm in New York, New York in home?" She said looking up at him.

Jim now put the flowers he had for her down and picked her up and carried her back to her bed.

"New York is your home now, yes, home." He said kissing her. "Now let the doctor do his job." He said stepping away as the doctor approached her again.

"Is my mum behind this?" Claira said as the doctor took off the bandages.

"Behind what?" Jim said sorting out the flowers.

"Why you're here and not mum and dad. Did they finally get divorced or something?"

"Miss Phelps please, you need to sit still." The doctor said checking her face under the light.

"Sorry." She said as the doctor made his notes.

"Skin pigmentation will settle into the background once the swelling reduces. I don't think there will be any problems with the fingerprints as the hands still have some time to grow and most of the burns will settle into skin lines." He said as the nurse started to reseal her face and hands.

"Burns, hur, I remember now! Jim there was a man who was in your room and when he came back out I noticed a fire and then these other men appeared and they grabbed my mum and dad and my brother and sisters."

"What happened?" Jim said moving to her.

"They stopped me trying to do something about putting the fire out. I heard mum and dad shouting at them and I didn't know what to do. I thought that you were in the room, but you weren't. What happened, why did this man want to destroy your room?"

Jim moved up to her as the nurse finished and the doctor left them alone.

"I never asked or wanted to get you involved in this, entirely, sweetheart."

"Involved in what, Jim? I thought we were having fun, but I couldn't understand what was going on with the fire in your room."

"I have a team and I had a job to do. I guess someone at the hotel really did think that you were my daughter. I made enquiries and in the official book for the hotel your name is listed with me and not with your parents."

"What does that mean?"

"Claira, I believe that because you and I were seen together at the border and that you became scared and wanted your father that the guard really believed that you were my daughter."

"But back at the hotel the receptionists must have seen me with my brother and sisters and sometimes my mum and dad when they were talking to one another." She said looking at him.

"That's what I would have been led to believe but thanks to what my team and I were there for I guess that they would have forgotten that just to get at me."

"Well, what are you going to do now? I mean I'm back at home now and my mum and dad are going to be here any minute with my brother and sisters, probably laughing at me all the here, yes?" Claira said looking at him.

"Claira," He stopped and looked at her. "You're here because I'm going to take care of you from now on."

"Take care of me now? Well, what does mum and dad say about that?"

"Sweetheart, you're the only one I managed to save from the fire. When I entered the hotel I found your entire family had already been shot and left for dead."

"Mum and dad?"

"You're mum and dad, you're little brother and sisters too. I believe that if they would have found you first you wouldn't be sitting here now."

"Why didn't they kill me too?"

"Because, I understand that you tried to find me I guess, thinking that I was in my room and they must have lost you in the smoke from the fire. I found you unconscious by the bathroom and you were in a pretty bad state with burn marks all over your face and body. I carried you out and brought you back home to the states with me and I'm going to take care of you from now on."

"Why?"

"Because, I feel responsible for what happened to you and, that I wasn't there to help save your family, I want to make it up to your parents by taking care of you." He said looking at her trying to make sense of what Jim was trying to tell her.

"Taking care of me, how?"

"By being your father and making you a part of my team." He said touching her face and watching her reaction.

Claira slowly looked down as she tried to make sense of everything Jim had been saying to her.

"I know this is going to be hard for you to take in. One minute you're with your family in Poland on vacation and the next you wake up here, back home alone, with me but, you're not alone." He said moving to touch the flowers.

"Oh, have you got children too?" She said looking at him.

"No, as I said, I have a team that, to me are as tight as a family could ever be and, I'm going to look after you Claira, have no doubt about that. You have a new face and you're fingerprints now match that of my daughter." He said turning to look at her.

"Wait a minute; I thought you just said you haven't got any children."

"If you'd let me finish! I was about to say, you're fingerprints match that of my daughter, Claira Phelps."

Claira looked at him.

"Claira Phelps."

"I guess that name will still sound laughable to you for a while, if not somewhat scary too."

"I hope that you don't expect me to call you dad over night."

"Of course, I shall leave that up to you, but I hope you realise that nothing will happen to you in my care. I'll make personally sure of that. When your facial scars heal the doctor said that you will then be ready to go home."

"Home?" She said looking at him.

"Yes to my, our apartment here, in New York." He said watching her reactions.

"Well, how long will that be, exactly?"

"I will talk with your doctor and find out exactly when. I'll see you later." He said then kissed her and left.

Claira watched the door close then looked to the dark curtain hiding the strong summer sun and looked away thinking of her lost family as a tear fell from her eye.

Please refer to Mission Impossible continued for the rest of this story.


	2. Chapter 2

**Mission Impossible **continued...

This continued story starts off where I left off some years ago now, but I've now updated it.

I believe that it starts in the hospital after Jim Phelps had rescued Claira from the ruins of the Russian hotel that the KGB had burnt down after discovering that Jim had tried to steal technical data about their new radar scanner that the west desperately wanted, at any cost. The cost was Claira's family and Jim knew that the KGB would stop at nothing to trace his group down and make them pay for what he had acquired from them.

Claira's burns were so severe that plastic surgery was required and Jim found this the perfect opportunity to stop the KGB realising what Jim had done and to give him the time he needed to help Claira acclimatise to her new life and surroundings as a member of Jim's Impossible Mission Force and his apartment in New York.

Jim pulled up in the apartment's garage area and stopped his car, then turned off the engine as he looked at Claira in the back seat looking around.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" He said looking through the rear view mirror to her.

Claira now focused in on him looking at her through the mirror.

"Are we home?"

"Yes, this is your new home. Jump out, I'll take you up."

Claira looked for the door release and slowly pulled it as the door slowly opened. She moved out of the car as Jim moved round to meet her and take her hand. She now pulled her hand away and moved closer to him.

"It could be bugged."

"Hur?"

"Your garage, bugged!"

"What on earth for?"

She looked at him.

"For what reason?" Jim said now taking her hand again.

"The KGB is everywhere."

Jim moved her around to face him.

"Yes darling, they are but, not here." He said pulling her over to the elevator as she looked around.

They were soon on the hallway to Jim's apartment and Claira watched him open the door and she slowly walked in and turned back to look at Jim closing the door behind her.

"I want to show you something."

"It's true; you are going to hand me over to the KGB. My mum and dad, my brother and sister's you have no choice but to hand me over to them."

Jim grabbed her which made her stop and look at him.

"Would you be standing her now if that were true?"

Claira watched him as he now stepped aside and went towards a closed door and then opened it and turned back to face her.

"I'll respect your boundary if you accept this bedroom as your own."

Claira slowly moved forward and looked at a single bedroom in a big room. She now looked at Jim next to her.

"My bedroom?"

"Your bedroom." He said folding his arms.

Claira slowly moved in up to the foot of the bed then noticed a wardrobe and moved over to it and opened it to find it full of clothes.

"How much did all this cost you?" She said pulling out a dress.

"I wouldn't know. Credit cards take care of everything these days."

Claira now jumped onto the bed in sheer excitement.

"Something tells me you're pleased with your bedroom."

"Pleased, that's an understatement."

"I will leave you to familiarize yourself with it then."

"Jim, wait!"

He turned back as Claira moved up to him. She jumped up and kissed him.

"Thank you."

He smiled and kissed her back.

"My pleasure. I take it you don't have any dietary requirements."

"Hurh?"

"Never mind. I guess burger and chips is food for the twenty first centaury as it was the last century. I can live with that." He said moving out and allowed Claira her time and space.

Claira slowly ventured out into the living area where Jim was relaxing with a glass of wine and a good book. He now looked up and smiled.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"I'm fine, what are you doing?" She said jumping onto the sofa next to him.

"I am relaxing which is something I expect you would never do is, relax."

"I am relaxing now, so, what's for dinner?" She said looking around for the kitchen.

"Ah, I get it, when you're finished with sorting out your space you invade mine."

"Hurh, this is your space?"

"This is my apartment." He said jumping up and headed for the kitchen followed attentively by Claira.

"This is all yours?"

"Yes, I own all this." He said checking the cupboards.

"But, not my bedroom." She said moving back out.

Jim now moved to the doorway.

"Are you telling me that you're not really that hungry?"

"No, I really am, but..."

"But?" He said moving back up to her as Claira grabbed the book he was reading and started to flip through the pages.

"Are you telling me that this is basically what you do when you're not the head of IMF?"

Jim grabbed the book from her and sat down.

"I am a human being darling. I am allowed to have a social life."

"A social life?" She said looking at him.

"Yes, a social life."

Claira now noticed the TV remote control and grabbed it looking at it for some recognisable buttons. She now pointed it towards the tele as it came on and she pressed the volume button which made Jim look up and watch the volume numbers heading into the late twenties.

"Claira! We do have other neighbours in this apartments block. I don't own the twelve or so floors." He said grabbing the remote control and watched the numbers settle back down to a more manageable and audio calm.

"Here, you can watch any channels you want but do not attempt to raise the volume, okay." He said handing the remote back to her.

"Okay, okay." She said looking back towards the screen as she pressed every channel button she could find.

She eventually found a cartoon channel and slowly settled down next to Jim as he carried on reading his book.

Jim soon became hungry and stood up and then headed towards the kitchen for a light snack which soon brought Claira in looking around.

"What have you got in these big cupboards, Jim?" She said trying to open one.

"Nothing in that one." He said pulling her hand away.

Claira pulled out a chair and sat down watching Jim making a snack for her and put the plate on the table and sat down next to her as they started to eat their dinner.

"Are you happy with this?" He said looking at her.

"Yeah, this is alright." She said picking bits up from the plate.

"Good!" He said looking on.

They were soon sitting in front of the tele and watching something and Claira slowly moved into him for a hug and Jim duly held her as she slowly fell asleep.

Jim soon noticed the time and picked her up and went into her bedroom and put her to bed.

Claira awoke the next morning to voices in the living room and she jumped out of bed and opened the door to her bedroom and noticed Jim talking to someone. She slowly moved out to the sofa as Jim's guest noticed her.

"Hello Claira."

Jim looked round at Claira staring at his guest.

"Sweetheart." He said standing up and moving forward to her.

"Is he the KGB man that killed my family?" She said pointing towards Jim's guest.

Jim grabbed her hand and pushed it down and pulled Claira towards him.

"Darling, you've just woken up by the looks of things. Why don't I take you back inside your room and get you dressed and more appropriately understood towards our guest, please sweetheart."

Claira watched as Jim pushed her back into her room.

Jim slowly dressed her as Claira stood in front of him staring.

"Who is he?" She said moving close to him.

"He's a part of my team, just like you are and, in a moment I will introduce you properly." He said kissing her.

"Does he know about what happened back in Russia?"

"He should do darling, being part of my team he was in another room at our hotel."

"With my mum and dad and brother and sister's?"

Jim looked at her.

"Yes darling, with your, but, I don't want you to mention that." He said watching her.

"Why not?" She said moving in even closer to him.

Jim moved her over to the mirror to make her look at her reflection as Jim held her.

"Because I don't believe he knows that Claira, and besides, you're Claira Phelps, remember?" He said turning her round to face him.

"Of course yes, I remember, dad. Your secret is safe with me." She said kissing him.

"I'll introduce my child, okay." He said taking her hand.

Claira nodded as Jim led her out towards their guest.

"Barney, I would like to formally introduce you to my child, Claira." He said stepping aside and slightly pushed Claira towards him.

Barney stood up and shook her hand.

"Hello, formally Claira." He said smiling.

"I'm sorry about earlier Barney, as dad said; I guess I had just woken up."

"Not a problem Claira, I know I do make my rounds before the crack of dawn but, I am a very busy man."

Claira moved round to sit down and allowed Jim to sit next to her and took his hand.

Claira listened to Jim and Barney talking about things she could and never will understand but made sure she did not look bored or scared as she wanted to prove to herself, not just Jim and Barney, that she could and will be a part of Jim's Impossible Missions Force from that point on.

Within the hour Barney had finished talking to Jim and headed for the door.

"I suppose you're waiting for Jim to put on some breakfast on, ha Claira?" Barney said as Claira moved up next to Jim.

"Yes. Last night dad made this small parcel dinner and it reminded me so much of the old TV dinners my mum would make just to keep my brother and sister's quiet for a few minutes. I'm not complaining though because anything my mum could do I know Jim could do too, it was fantastic." Claira said getting carried away with what she was saying as Jim looked down at her.

Barney looked at Jim and then left as Jim closed the door and he turned back to her.

"TV dinner's ha?" He said picking her up.

"Jim they are great, you want to get mum to make one for us, they do work."

"I'll add that to my list of things to ask her when I die like asking her why my daughter is talking about her after what we recently agreed to, not in principle I might add." He said moving into the kitchen and grabbed two cereal bowls from the cupboard.

"What does in principle mean? I've never heard my mum and dad use that before." She said sitting down and allowing Jim to pore out the contents of a cereal product and add some milk to it.

"In principle means, like for starters, like your breakfast today, sweetheart." He said watching her delve into the contents of her cereal bowl.

"Like first, number one?" She said looking up and thinking as Jim started his breakfast.

"Yes Claira, like number one. You would be best to think about that number one every time you are with me."

"You mean being your daughter, don't you?"

"That I am your father, your dad, yes."

She looked down at her bowl then back to Jim.

An air of silence fell upon the breakfast table until the paper dropped through the door. Claira noticed it and jumped up.

"I'll get it." She said running out and grabbing the paper off the mat and running back to the kitchen and up to Jim to hand him the morning paper.

"Thank you darling. Now, you go back and finish your breakfast." He said putting the paper down next to his bowl and scanning the front page.

"I guess before I came here you would have got that paper on your own ha, Jim?"

"You guess right."

Claira finished her cereal and watched Jim moving through the paper.

"Do you want to read some of the morning headlines with me?"

"Can I?" She said jumping up.

"Of course you can. Come over here."

Claira sprinted over to Jim and allowed her to pick her up and place her on his lap.

"Okay, straight from the top." He said as they both started to read out the headlines.

After they had finished the paper, Claira helped Jim clean the kitchen and caught sight of her face in the clean and clear double oven and stepped back into the kitchen table which made Jim turn round to look at her as she touched her face.

"Claira! Claira, don't back out on me now!" He said grabbing her.

"But every time I see my face, Jim, and it isn't me." She said holding out her hand to the glass oven door.

"Claira!!!" Jim said as she fainted.

She awoke on her bed with Jim looking over her.

"Jim? What, where?" She said looking around.

"Take it easy Claira, you fainted, that's all."

"How?" She said as Jim helped her to her feet.

"Would you believe me if I said you caught sight of my daughter?"

"Your daughter, but..."  
"Arh, so now you remember who you are."

Claira went to her bedroom mirror and looked at herself again.

Jim moved up behind her and held her.

"I'm right here if you want to talk child, don't lock me out of that beautiful head and face of my daughter."

Claira now started to cry and Jim held her.

That next morning, Jim received a call and decided to take Claira with him to a local park where a tape and file had been left for him in a car for him to listen to.

He left Claira playing with some other children and walked up to the parked car and used the set of keys he had been given and got into the car and found a file waiting for him and a tape recorder and pressed the play button. He took one last look at Claira enjoying herself just as the tape started and he looked at the enclosed photographs as the familiar voice started coming from the doors speakers.

_Good morning Mr Phelps. A foreign minister to Lithuania, Soleveige Vallinto is visiting ministers in the former country of Yugoslavia, Macedonia, which has been recently overrun by Slavian nationalist bent on paving a way for new laws and a corrupt government run prilimary by Russian dissidents fed up with new European laws that have been set for the new year the dire consequences if not accepted by all sides. Soleveige Vallinto has been given the chance to visit Macedonia on a firm western approved tour to speak with their government leader, Lazar Kolinski but, the tour has already been set back twice thanks to the Russian dissidents who have sworn to carry out a repeat of the archduke Ferdinand's assassination in Serbia, of which we all know sent Europe into the start of what we now know as the First World War. Soleveige son, Karl has decided to be taught at the state school of Macedonia as a mark of respect for the true educational rights towards every child between Lithuania and Macedonia. An ante rage has been arranged between these two great nations to show that even under these depression times children's educations cannot be forgotten whatever force is in power._

_You're mission Jim, should you decide to accept it is to aid Karl's educational rights and to protect Soleveige Vallinto's arranged tour in Macedonia at any cost._

_Of course, if you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This tape will self destruct in five seconds. Good luck Jim._

Jim stopped the tape and waited for the device to smoke away and then exited the vehicle with the photographs in hand and looked over to Claira in the park.

He soon collected her and they both headed back to the apartment.

That evening Jim looked at the photographs again as Claira went through the TV channels for the eightieth time.

"Ah just great!" She said sitting back into the big sofa chair and moving in close to Jim for a hug.

"What?" Jim said looking at another picture.

"There's nothing on the tele Jim, and I've been through every channel more than once." She said trying to get comfortable on Jim.

"Sweetheart, daddy isn't a pillow, if you're tired then may I suggest you go to bed? I'm busy here, okay." He said moving forward to look at the information he had received.

Claira looked at him then picked up one of his photos.

"Hey, who's this guy?" She said breaking Jim's concentration.

"His name is Soleveige Vallinto and he is a foreign minister to a country called Lithuania." He said taking the photo from her.

"Lithuania, that's near to Russia isn't it?"

"Very good, its part of the Balkan countries like Macedonia is."

Claira grabbed a map that Jim was looking at and studied it.

"Macedonia, I remember this from school, that was part of Yugoslavia."

"Go to the head of the class." Jim said then stopped and looked at her.

"What's the matter?"

"Head of the class, of course, yes it could be done." He said picking Claira up and hugging her. "You're not just a pretty face, after all." He added then kissed her.

The next day Jim's IMF team met up in his apartment as Jim explained his objectives to them as Claira mingled in the kitchen as she was a little scared to understand what Jim was actually doing. She moved out to the doorway as Jim started to show maps of Macedonia and how close it was again to Russia as she focused more on the map than Jim's plans.

"I've already made plans to have a building set up for the education room where we will hold Soleveige son and hopefully he will be none the wiser to our plans to protect him and his father who will be watched on a twenty four hour basis by myself while Rollin is being shown the cities highlights as Soleveige."

"Jim, how are you going to make Karl believe that he will be getting an education while his father is being protected?" Rollin said looking at him.

"Claira gave me the idea over that one Rollin." Jim said looking towards Claira now starting to move towards her bedroom door. "Sweetheart." He added as they all looked at her trying to duck out.

"Come on Claira; don't be all shy on us." Cinnamon said moving up to her to lead her back to Jim who took her hand and then held her.

"Claira is going to be introduced to a new school soon so what a better way to introduce Karl with her. That is why I have invited a teacher from the Californian University. While Claira needs to keep up with her schooling she will be able to make Karl believe that they are in a fully functional school." Claira looked up at Jim as he started to show the rest of the team his other plans.

That evening as Jim read his book and Claira found out that there was nothing to watch on the tele, and she had now finally, plucked up the courage to talk to him and turned off the tele.

"Dad, Jim, I mean," She stopped and looked down.

"Would Mr Phelps be better for you to handle, Claira?" He said closing his book up and looking at her.

"I'm sorry, but, I don't think I would be any good in your team, Jim." She said looking away.

"Who said you had to be in my team?"

"But earlier you said that I would be helping you with the education of Karl."

"I said that you still need to be educated, that's one thing I'll make sure you'll never miss out on, the opportunity of schooling." He said touching her.

"How can I do that in Macedonia?"

"With the university teacher taking care of this, I am sure that your will get an educational surprise." He said hugging her.

"Will you be there?"

"Every step of the way." He said kissing her and then picked up his book again and started to read some more lines.

Within days they were in Macedonia and a building was found to double as the school and a few extra kids were brought in to make the whole illusion of a school seem more believable as Karl entered the building and took his place in the makeshift classroom and the university teacher did his best to educate all ensemble.

Claira was soon made aware were Karl was sitting and Jim asked her to befriend him.

"What am I supposed to say to a kid whose father is the foreign secretary of Li..?"

"Lithuania! Will you join the class so that my daughter can start her education please, sweetheart?" He said kissing her then pushed her through the door. "I love you." He added as Claira spun round to look at him.

"Dad, I..." She looked at Jim moving back down the corridor.

"Miss Phelps?" The teacher said behind her.

Claira concentrated on Jim disappearing outside as everyone watched her standing by the doorway.

The teacher moved up to her and clicked his fingers in front of her.

"Claira Phelps." The teacher said as Claira looked at him.

"That's my dad." She said pointing back while looking at him.

The class now started to laugh as she looked at them.

"Yes, I believe we all know that Claira. Would you like to join the rest of your class and planet Earth while you're here, please?" The teacher said trying to get her to focus.

Karl now stood up and went up to her.

"I'll help her sir, parents always do that to us, I mean take mine for instance." Karl said as he led Claira to her seat. "My old man is trying to look interested in a town like this, stupid ha?"

She looked at him and finally realised where she was and started to join in with the rest of the class.

Rollin now took over as Karl's father around the town and the areas presented to a dignitary and Jim made the real Soleveige comfortable in a private building.

That evening Jim was waiting for Karl to leave the makeshift school with Claira and moved his father with Karl into a safe house for the evening.

Jim spoke to Soleveige as Karl found Claira in another room waiting for Jim to finish.

"I can't believe your old man would be helping my old man around this dump. I mean, to set up a year's free education is nothing, but the full red carpet treatment, no way." He said grabbing a drink from the fridge.

Claira looked back at Jim speaking to Soleveige then joined Karl and had a drink.

"I guess my dad can make anything work, within reason." She said thinking about him.

"I wish he could work out some time away from school. I mean, school is the same all over the world, and when dad said that I would be here in education for a year for one moment I really thought that it would be different. Don't get me wrong or nothing, this situation we're in is fine but the fact that my dad has to be protected from so called Russian dissidents leaves a little bit to be desired. If our government really thought that then they would have called the trip off no matter if I was to be at school here or not."

"I think that you should be glad that you're not on the run from the KGB, now that really would have stopped this tour." Claira said off the cuff.

"The KGB, what makes you say something like that?" Karl said looking at her.

"Claira, can I see you for a moment please." Jim said as Claira realised that he had heard what she had said.

"Dad." She said moving over to him.

"Hey Mr Phelps what does Claira mean about being on the run from the KGB?" He said looking at him as Claira moved out past Jim.

"Probably something to do with your stories, ha Claira?" Jim said pulling her back.

She looked at him then at Karl.

"Yeah, I guess, it's just one of my stories. Forget it, I have." Claira said then went out.

Jim made his excuses and found Claira outside looking at the local Macedonian traffic.

"Sweetheart." He said coming level with her.

"Dad, I wasn't doing anything, really I wasn't."

"I wouldn't expect you to do anything anyway. Now saying, well what can I put that down to?" He said turning to face her.

Claira looked away as the wind caught her face and she shivered.

"Don't tell me that cold chill was the ghost of your mother telling you that you should be a nice little girl and that she wants you to forget the fellow American in the next room, yes?"

"No!" She said looking back at him. "Jim, you can't just make me forget them. You think that a change of my face, fake birth details and I just automatically call you dad is what I should accept and that the KGB has forgotten about me."

Jim grabbed her.

"Listen to me."

Claira moved away.

"Sweetheart, if I wasn't certain that the KGB killed you along with your mum, dad and brother and sister's you wouldn't be standing here now. Do you really think I wouldn't cover your back? Claira, please, trust me." He said touching her.

"Jim." Barney said behind him.

They both turned round and looked at him.

"Soleveige is asking to speak to you, urgently." Barney said realising that Jim was talking privately to her.

"Yes, alright, thank you Barney" Jim kissed Claira and made her look at him. "Stay here, I won't be long." He said kissing her.

Claira watched Jim walk back into the building with Barney.

Karl watched them go then looked at Claira now going back to the traffic.

The next day Claira headed back into the school building and took her place amongst the other students. Karl walked in sometime later and moved up to sit next to Claira.

"What happened last night with your old man?" He said trying to break Claira's concentration.

"No talking please." The teacher said looking at them.

Karl looked at Claira who did not rise to his question.

That afternoon Karl was called to a stage that had been set up for his father. Of course Rollin took his place and Jim stood next to Claira taking in the crowd while security was stepped up. Claira felt the cold wind again and moved in closer to Jim for a hug which he duly obliged. They then followed Rollin as Soleveige around the town and visited the school that Karl and Claira were studying in.

"I am sure that my son is receiving the correct studies that Karl would receive even in our own country and I am proud that he will be here throughout the year." Rollin said looking at Karl.

Claira moved closer to Karl.

"But I bet you wouldn't be as so embarrassed by your old man back home." She said as Karl looked at her.

The crowd soon dispersed with no word of any Russian dissidents around and Karl went back to his father who was being advised by his personal secretary.

Claira moved into the room where Jim's team were and watched Rollin getting undressed.

"Hey Claira, I saw you becoming pals with Karl. I hope Jim knows and if he doesn't, I'll soon update him on the situation." He said looking at Claira.

"Very funny Rollin, dad knows all about my fellow school friend."

"School friend ha?"

Claira moved away from Rollin's jokes and jibes in to the kitchen are and the quiet room beyond.

Jim finished his meeting and entered the room to grab a drink when he noticed Claira in the other room and moved out to her.

"Claira."

"Dad, err." She said looking at him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine."  
"What are you doing in here all alone?"

"Oh, Rollin was trying to wind me up over Karl saying that we were getting close."

Jim looked at her and sat down facing her.

"Oh, how close?"

"We're not close! He's just a fellow student at a school that's not even a school." She said jumping up and started to get upset.

"Hey, take it easy, I'm not judging you, I'm your father, what do you take me for?" He said stopping her.

Claira looked away.

"Claira, what is so wrong with you?"

"I want my mum and dad back, I miss them." She said starting to cry.

Jim now pulled her into him and held her.

"I know, I know Claira, Rollin is just calming down after today and obviously whatever he says could potentially upset you. I thought my daughter was made of stronger stuff."

"Well obviously I'm not."

Jim smiled and looked at her then sat down and put her on his lap and held her for a while.

The next day Claira reached the class early to make a good impression to the employed teacher when she noticed Karl in the doorway speaking to some town locals. She slowly walked up to him when he noticed her and quickly stepped away as the men walked away from the entrance and into the crowd.

"Hi Karl, who were you're friends?"

"Just friends." He said then walked off.

They were soon in class and they just carried on with their work for the rest of the day.

Before Karl was due to meet Jim back at the safe house he was reported missing after leaving school and Jim arranged for a search of the local area.

Claira went out on to the veranda to look up the main street then noticed someone looking at the building through binoculars. She stepped back into the room and watched the man now move away as Karl appeared in the room where the man with the binoculars was. Claira watched as Karl grabbed the binoculars and to start using them to look up and down the main street.

He now noticed Jim and stepped away from the window. Claira looked down the street to see Jim heading back towards the building.

"Dad." She said realising that Karl and the man had gone, so she quickly ran down to the main entrance towards Jim. She waited for him to enter the building but, Karl had managed to arrive at the same time, which cheered him up and sort of deflated Claira's response.

"Where did you go?" Jim asked as Claira listened attentively.

"I had a fellow student to take home, didn't Claira tell you?" He said looking at Claira who was staring at him.

"No, she never." Jim said now turning to Claira.

"Well, that is where I was, with a fellow student."

"I thought you didn't know any other students except for my daughter." Jim said now starting to walk back to the secure area.

"We had only just met and err, well Jim, you know boys and how to impress new students." He said following Jim.

Claira left Jim alone with Karl and the other members of IMF and sat in the kitchen alone.

Sometime later Karl walked into the kitchen to grab a drink.

"Ah, I parched! Hey Claira, why aren't you with the other members of your old man's team?" He said opening his drink and looking at her.

She now jumped up and grabbed him.

"He's my father, not my old man and you weren't with a new student earlier."

Karl looked at her then put his drink down.

"Are you going to tell your father where I was?"

"What, with some guy with binoculars looking into this building. What do you think?"

"A guy with binoculars, what are you talking about?"

"I saw you, over there, with a guy who was using binoculars to look into this building, probably trying to find out where your old man is." She said moving out onto the veranda.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I was with no man."

"I saw you, why, do you think I'd lie about something like that?"

"Well you're whole team is in to deception and lies, you've probably been made to say that."

"Made to say it by whom?"

"You're old man, who else?" He said moving away.

Claira watched him go.

Jim soon returned to the private room to relax with Claira.

"Why didn't you tell me where Karl was earlier?" Jim said waiting for an answer.

"I guess I forgot, sorry." She said then looked away thinking about Karl and what he had said.

"Well next time I suggest that you tell me as soon as I ask. This is the last stage of this mission and so far everything has been going along pretty much okay. For something to happen now would be a disaster." Jim said looking at her as she turned away.

The next day Jim set in motion the last part of his plan as Soleveige prepared to leave the comfort of the safe house.

Claira was in class when two men walked in and passed their classroom and looked at Karl who was trying to not notice them. Claira now turned to him and caught his attention.

"Hey, one of those guys is who I saw you with yesterday."

"No talking please." The teacher said watching them.

"Yeah, Miss Phelps, no talking." He said jumping up and grabbing his bad. "Sir, can I be excused?" He said wishing not to look at Claira.

"Oh err, yes alright Karl." The teacher said allowing him to leave the room.

Claira now jumped up and moved up to the teacher.

"Sir, could you tell me where my father is at present?"

"Well, I would suggest that he is with the minister finalizing his exit from the city, Claira."

"Sir, I have to make contact with him, could I please be excused too sir?"

"I'm slowly running out of students here Claira, can't it wait?"

"No sir, I think Soleveige is in danger and my dad and I are the only ones who can help him at the moment." She said running out.

She ran down the corridor looking for Karl or the two men but they had disappeared. She now went out on to the main street to see the crowd getting ready for the last procession. She now went back into the building and headed up to the balcony to get a better look then noticed Karl and the men in the adjoining building handing a high powered gun to one of the men then leaving by a back door on to the street to join the increasing crowd.

Claira looked up the road to see the car pull up waiting for Soleveige.

"Dad, where are you?"

"Right behind you!" Jim said as Claira spun round. "We're just about to pull out so I thought I'd collect you personally, but what are you doing up here, I was due to collect you in the classroom with Karl.

"Dad, Karl isn't in class; he's out there on the street waiting for the procession to start."

"It already has," He said checking his watch. "Yes, Rollin should be here soon."

"Rollin?" She said looking back at the man in the window.

"Of course, he'll hand over back to Soleveige at the border where Karl will be waiting for him. Are you alright?"

"No, I'm confused. Dad, I think Karl is part of the Russian dissidents and is planning to murder his own father and blame it on the Russians as planned."

"Karl? Where did you come up with this ludicrous idea?"

She grabbed him and pushed him to the window.

"The guy I saw with the binoculars yesterday is now at the same window with a high powered rifle and Karl..." She stopped and looked towards the car. "There he is! Dad, he's not going to make the border crossing. He's going to make the car stop way before then, maybe right outside that window." She said now looking at him.

Jim moved closer to the balcony and noticed the man with the gun then Karl awaiting the car. He looked at Claira.

"Stay here."

"No!"

"Claira, I can't get you involved with this."

"I became involved when I first met you in the hotel."

Jim kissed her.

"I love you"

"I love you too, daddy."

They now run out and through the building to where Soleveige was waiting for Rollin to allow him to step in to the car.

"A slight change of plan sir. You will be meeting your son at the border." Jim said as he grabbed Rollin and put a bullet proof vest on.

"Jim, is something wrong?" Soleveige said watching Rollin get changed and head back to the car.

"Sir, I believe your own son is part of the Russian threat to your life." Claira said as Jim led him down the corridor towards the border gate.

"Claira, lead Soleveige to the guards."

"Where are you going?"

"I have to cover Rollin. If Karl finds out I know his plans he could cause a panic. I'll be okay, Sir, please follow my daughter, I shall be with you shortly."

Claira watched Jim go out into the crowd as Claira reluctantly headed to the border.

"You're father is a brave man Claira, you must be very proud of each other."

"Yes sir, very proud of each other. Please follow me, sir, we should be clear soon." She said quickening her step towards the border.

Jim headed outside and looked up to the window to see a rifle nose sticking out from it. He headed up towards the car and noticed Karl getting ready to stop the car. Jim moved up to him.

"Hello Karl, I've seem to misplaced my daughter now, you haven't seen her around, have you?"

"Err no, the last time I saw her was nearly an hour ago, in class."

"What are you doing here; this is not what was in the plan."

"Well, seeing that my dad was going to pick me up from school I felt that his car might as well stop right outside the school and we could leave the city together."

"That's a good idea. I'll join you."

"Really Mr Phelps, there is no need to."

"Not at all, I insist."

"Ah, I've just remembered, Claira told me that she would be waiting for you at the border."

"Is she, good, I can join you here and we can both see her together."

Karl looked at him then towards the window as the car approached them and stopped.

Rollin opened the door and looked at him.

"Jim, Karl, err this is not to the plan."

Jim now pushed Karl into the back of the car as a hail of bullets ran out.

"Go, go!" Jim said to Barney as he sped off.

"What's going on?" Rollin said as Soleveige.

"Forgive the early intrusion sir, but I believe you're son is behind the plot to kill you sir." Jim said looking at Karl.

"My son, Karl, what have you got to say to this accusation?"

They looked towards Karl as he pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Rollin."

"Stop the car

"Are you mad; we're nearly at the border?" One of Soleveige's aids said.

Karl now pistol whipped him.

"I will carry out my calling. To destroy the western regime with the death of my own father." He said pointing the gun towards Rollin.

The car now stopped at the border as Claira opened the door with the real Soleveige next to her. Karl looked at her then Soleveige.

"What?" He said now looking to Rollin who belted him in the face.

Jim jumped out of the car and pulled Karl out to the floor unconscious.

Claira now hugged him.

"I was so scared for you."

"You scared for me, never." He said hugging then kissing her.

They looked at Rollin getting out and taking off the bullet proof vest and the disguise.

Soleveige looked at his son in front of him.

Jim's team now got into an awaiting van and drove away from the border crossing to end another IMF story.

**THE END**


End file.
